The present invention concerns a device for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprising a central console.
Such a device, intended to be arranged between the seats, in particular between the front seats, serves especially for storage or support.
The document CA-A-2 245 311 describes such a device, comprising in addition to the central console a support intended to be fixed to the passenger compartment of the vehicle and guide means comprising a first portion maintained with respect to the central console and a second portion maintained with respect to the support, said portions being intended to slide relative to each other, and the one defining a rail forming a slideway and the other a carriage forming a slider. However, the central console is not intended to be removed from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, thus reducing its functionality.
FR-A-2 789 641 discloses a device further comprising releasable connection means disposed between the second portion of the guide means and the support. Said means have an active position in which they maintain the second portion of the guide means with respect to the support and an inactive position in which they release the assembly formed by the console and the guide means with respect to the support.
Thus, the console can not only slide but also be removed. Then only the support remains in place, constituted by the floor of the vehicle, such that there is no risk of damaging either the rail or the carriage. In addition, it is possible to place objects or to move easily in the area freed by the console.
However, the robustness of the device and the ease of placing the console in position in order to connect it to the support are not very satisfactory.
In order to remedy this, according to the invention the assembly has the following features:
the rail is disposed between the carriage and the console, such that the releasable connection means maintain the carriage with respect to the support,
the support has a hollow form intended to receive the carriage, and
the device further comprises a flap intended to close off the hollow formed in the support when the assembly formed by the console, the rail and the carriage is away from the support.
By disposing the carriage in the support, the useful volume of the central console is increased, the support being able in fact to be advantageously embedded in a wall of the passenger compartment such as the floor.
Moreover, the carriage may be of greater thickness without reducing the useful volume of the central console, thus making it possible to increase the robustness of the device and/or the length of slide.
In addition, the hollow form of the support facilitates the installation of the console by inserting the carriage into said hollow. Finally, once covered by the flap, the support is integrated perfectly into the passenger compartment.
As another advantageous feature of the invention having the aim of maintaining the central console in a given position, the invention proposes that the device includes position indexing means comprising:
a rib extending along the rail and having openings passing through it which are distributed over its length,
an indexing rod connected to the carriage and controlled by an electric actuator displacing it between an active position in which it is inserted into the openings of the rib and an inactive position in which it allows sliding between the carriage and the rail,
a control button connected to the actuator and intended to enable the user to allow or prevent sliding of the console with respect to the support.
This solution is reliable, robust, easy to use, requires almost no effort, and enables the control to be arranged ergonomically.
An advantageous solution proposed by the invention for connecting the console releasably to the support consists in that the releasable connection means comprise:
retaining lugs fixed to the second portion of the guide means,
seatings provided in the support and intended to receive said retaining lugs,
a sliding bolt movable between an inactive position in which it provides an access opening to the seatings and an active position in which it closes off said seatings, in order to retain said retaining lugs in said seatings.
This simple and robust solution ensures reliable operation.
In order to avoid the involuntary release of the console and allow it to be replaced in position easily, the invention proposes that the releasable connection means comprise control means which allow the release of the console with respect to the support only in a specific relative position of said console with respect to said support.
Thus, since the position of the second portion of the guide means with respect to the console is always the same, correctly positioning the console will suffice to engage said second portion of the guide means in the support.
In order to improve the operation of the device further, the invention proposes that the rail be produced from aluminium alloy. It will thus be relatively light, able to incorporate reinforcing elements such as ribs, and exhibit little variation of dimensions without significant extra cost.
The invention will become even clearer from the following description, provided with reference to the appended drawings.